The once-invincible Seattle Seahawks are in all sorts of trouble after they lost for the second straight game, this time to the St. Louis Rams. They will look to end their barren run and get their season back in track when they face the Carolina Panthers, who are looking for a pick-me-up win as well after being humiliated by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Read on for a complete preview of this matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Monday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys here.
[sc:Football ]Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers Preview
When: Sunday, October 26, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
Line: Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) at Carolina Panthers (+3.5); total 41.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks wasted quarterback Russell Wilson’s historic effort as they crashed to their second consecutive defeat with a narrow 28-26 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Wilson completed 23 of 36 passes for 313 yards while also rushing for 106 yards as he became the first quarterback in NFL history to record at least 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in one game. All of that hard work was for naught, however, as the Seahawks’ poor discipline on the field as well as poor execution on special teams contributed to their second straight loss.
The Seahawks allowed the Rams to convert on two special teams trick plays. The first one was an incredible use of misdirection that resulted in a Rams touchdown and the second was a fake punt/pass by Jake Hekker late in the fourth quarter that helped St. Louis run out the clock.
What’s most troubling, however, for the Seahawks is their propensity to commit penalties. They had 10 penalties against the Rams on Sunday for a total loss of 89 yards. In their defeat to the Cowboys last week, they committed nine penalties for a loss of 58 yards.
They will need to eradicate those mistakes if they are to snap their two-game losing skid against the Carolina Panthers this coming Sunday. Fortunately for them, the Panthers have struggled on the offensive end this season averaging just 342.0 yards per game in total offense.
One positive thing that came out from their game against the Rams was that they were able to control the football once again. Last week, the Cowboys had the majority of the possession, controlling the ball for 37 minutes and 39 seconds. This time around, the Seahawks had the advantage (32 minutes and 24 seconds) and that helped them gain the edge against the Rams in total offense (463-272).
They will need to do just that against the Panthers who have struggled defensively this season. They are the seventh-worst team in the NFL in the total defense department with opponents averaging 388.3 yards against them this year.
The Seahawks are 3-0 in their last three meetings with the Panthers dating back to 2010.
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Betting on the Carolina Panthers
It’s back to the drawing board for quarterback Cam Newton and the rest of the Carolina Panthers after they were mercilessly beaten by the Green Bay Packers 38-17 on Sunday.
A week after posting a total of 395 yards against the Bengals, the former no. 1 overall pick Newton was limited by the Packers to just 246 total yards in this game. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 205 yards but managed to rack up only 41 rushing yards on just seven carries (down from 107 yards on 17 carries last week).
That was not the case for Green Bay star Aaron Rodgers who was in the zone against the hapless Carolina defense. He torched the Panthers for 255 yards and three touchdowns on 19 of 22 passing. He finished the game with a passer rating of 154.5, becoming just the second player in NFL history with a passer rating of at least 150 in two of the first seven games of the season.
It won’t get any easier for the Panthers this coming Sunday as they will face another in-form quarterback in Russell Wilson of the Seahawks. Wilson, like Cam Newton, is a dual-threat quarterback and he showed that against the Rams on Sunday, rushing for 106 yards.
It won’t help matters that the Panthers are the seventh-worst team in the NFL this season in rushing defense with opponents averaging 137.6 yards against them. The defense as a whole was a disappointment against the Packers as Carolina quickly stared at a 21-0 deficit after just six plays allowing a total of 172 yards.
The Carolina defense has been an issue all season. In seven games this year, they have allowed a total of 195 points for an average of 27.8 points per game. Compare that to last year when they gave up just 241 points the entire regular season for a measly average of 15 points per game. Their defensive troubles are the reason why they are just 3-3-1 this season.
The Panthers are 4-3 ATS this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Seahawks (-3.5) demolish the Panthers.
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